Be Seated the Norwegian Way

The continued influence of expert Norwegian designers like the ones described in this overview can still be seen today in many ways. Norwegian furniture design has survived and thrived these many years and has been highly popular with its sophisticated and yet practical pieces. Let’s have a look at famous Norwegian chairs.

Pancras by Espen Voll and Tore Borgersen

Pancras lounge chair
has been designed in 2001 by Espen Voll and Tore Borgersen from the Norwegian design group Norway Says.

Peel by Olav Eldoy

The Peel Chair
has been designed for posture, comfort and ergonomic reasons by Olav Eldoy, Johan Verde and Ole Petter Wullum.

The back rest shape of the Peel chair has been influenced by the shape of falling orange peel and is to enhance the correct posture contours of the body.

Loop by Johan Verde

The Loop Chair
Designed by Johan Verde, the Loop chair is a design icon and can stand alone as a sculpture or in a loinge setting. Johan Verde is one of the best known industrial designers in Norway.

Loop has an encompassing organic form that invites to various sitting positions. Award for Design Excellence by the Norwegian Design Council in 2002.

Trip Trap by Peter Opsvik

Tripp Trapp child’s chair
The Tripp Trapp iconic child’s chair, designed by Peter Opsvik, actually grows with your child well into the teenage years, evolving from a high chair to a child’s chair, and finally to an adult sized seat.

Tripp Trapp, manufactured by Stokke of Norway, has been clinically proven to help children maintain proper seating through solid foot support. The results concretely suggest that children seated in the Tripp Trapp Chair show decreased signs of fidgeting, increased stability, and improved levels of table top activity performances.

City chairs by Oivind Iversen

City Chair
The City Chair was designed by Øivind Iversen and manufactured by More Mobler during the 1950s. The chairs were made from teak with chrome bases.

711 by Fredrik A. Kayser

711 Armchair
The model 711 designed in 1960 by Fredrik Kayser features a spacious Mid-Century wooden frame with horned armrests that gently slope up to form comfy and attractive armrests.

The armchair offers slightly reclined seat equipped to go with bottom and back cushions, providing optimal comfort and support.

Fredrik A. Kayser is one of Norway’s most respected designers. He was born in 1924 in Bergen, Norway’s second most populated city.

Designer Sven Ivar Dysthe in his Planet chair

Planet Chair
The Planet chair was designed for Varier by Sven Ivar Dysthe in 1965. It rotates and the new patented mechanism allows you to tilt the seat as well.

This chair is for social occasions. There is also a Planet coffee table.

Dysthe was born in 1931 in Oslo and received a number of international and national design awards. In 2010 he was made Knight of the First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.

Scandia Senior Chair by Hans Brattrud

Scandia Senior Chair
was designed by Hans Brattrud in 1957 as a student project at the National College of Art & Design in Oslo. The chair was revolutionary both in shape and expression.

By using horizontal ribs, a two dimensional laminated shape was strung up and made three dimensional.

The Scandia chair won immediately recognition and became an obvious eye-catcher at several exhibitions and fairs. In 1967 the chair was awarded gold medal at the International arts and crafts fair in Munich.

Variable Balans Chair by Peter Opsvik

Variable Balans Chair
was designed by Peter Opsvik who is best known for his innovative and ergonomic chairs, like the Variable Balans. His book, Rethinking Sitting, came out in 2009, giving insight into the thinking about sitting and explaining the philosophy behind his chairs.

“This chair does wonders for your back by forcing the body to actively hold itself in position,” wrote one user. “It can’t be slouched in but reminds you to sit up straight.”

Pair of Ekstrem lounge chairs by Terje Ekstrom

Ekstrem Lounge Chair
has a bold, unconventional form that in 1972 pointed the way to the future of design. Ekstrem by Terje Ekstrom gives extreme freedom for the mind – and extreme freedom for the body.

The chair was commercialized in 1984, in a time where new designers tried to break with existing norms within Scandinavian furniture.

The sculptural shape makes this chair a real 80s icon and a true ambassador of post modernistic design.

Copenhagen chair by Lars Tornoe

Copenhagen armchair
was designed by Lars Tornoe as part of his Master’s degree project in 2008, using the Norwegian Ambassador’s residency in Copenhagen as case.

Lars Tornoe qualified at the Bergen National Academy of Arts. He has acquired experience in most aspects of furniture design and has created design icons which are sold all over the world.

Jazz collection by Steinar Hindenes and Dave Vikoren

The Monk Chair
was designed in 1993 by Steinar Hindenes and Dave Vikoren as a part of the Jazz Collection.

The cooperation between Dave Vikoren and Steinar Hindenes in Circus Design has resulted in several international and national design awards.

Siesta chair by Ingmar Relling

Siesta chair and ottoman
was designed by the famed Ingmar Relling in 1965 and won a design award in 1966. The company making it was called Westnofa went out of business and the chair disappeared from the market. Later it resurrected in its current form.

Ingmar Relling was an impassioned designer, who created a series of functional furniture designs during his long career. Today he is considered as one of the greatest contributors to the Scandinavian Design. Ingmar Relling opened his own practice in 1950, and in 1965 he designed his greatest creation: the Siesta chair. The Siesta is a simply harmonious and classical chair, free of unnecessary details, and it became an icebreaker that opened up international markets to Norwegian furniture exports.

Stressless by Ekornes

Stressless by Ekornes
Stressless was introduced in 1971, as the first recliner to meet your body’s need for movement and support when seated.
In 1980 the sales exceeded 100 million NOK (12 million USD).

Since then several new models have been introduced. Stressless is one of the biggest international success stories in modern Norwegian industrial history.

Loop by Johan Verde

Norway has kept up with its stylish yet minimalistic traditions to this day and the styles are celebrated by millions of furniture buffs and regular people like.